Paint roller

ABSTRACT

A PAINT ROLLER WITH A TUBULAR JOURNAL SUPPORTING A ROLLER ASSEMBLY IN THE FORK OF A HANDLE, THE JOURNAL HAVING A FILL CAP THAT CAN BE REMOVED TO PERMIT FILLING THE INTERIOR OF THE ROLLER ASSEMBLY WITH PAINT. THE ROLLER COMPONENTS ARE HELD IN AS-   SEMBLED RELATIONSHIP BY THE PRESENCE OF THE HANDLE FORK, PREVENTING AXIAL SEPARATION OF THESE COMPONENTS.

Unite States Patent Inventor James L. Mallindine 923 Orange SL,Greenville, Mich. 48838 Appl. No. 790,555

Filed Jan. 13, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 PAINT ROLLER 1 Claim, 6Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 401/197, l5/230.1 1

Int. Cl 544d 3/28 Field of Search H 401/197,

196; 15/230.l1, 257.06,105, 103598, 97; 29/1 10.5; 101/375, 376, 331,328; 118/258 (Roller Digests) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS6/1937 Kitselman 1l8/258X 2/1952 Mattie 15/2301 1X 5/1953 Hesson118/Roller 6/1967 Heilet al.. 118/258X 8/1967 Carlee 401/197 PrimaryExaminer-Walter A. Scheel Assistant Examiner-Leon G. MachlinAttorney--Glenn B. Morse ABSTRACT: A paint roller with a tubular journalsupporting a roller assembly in the fork of a handle, the journal havinga fill cap that can be removed to permit filling the interior of theroller assembly with paint. The roller components are held in assembledrelationship by the presence of the handle fork, preventing axialseparation of these components.

PATENTEU JUN28I9Y; 3588.264

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR.

James L. Mollindine BY ATTORNEY PATENTEUJUNZBM 3,588,264

SHEET 2 OF 2 James L. Mollindi ATTORNEY PAINT ROLLER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The application of paint with a roller is a well-establishedprocedure. The usual rollers involve some sort of central stiffeningcore surrounded by absorptive cover material, with this roller assemblymounted on a handle. The paint is usually applied to the roller byrolling the unit in a trough partially filled with paint, so that thepermeable covering material of the roller is saturated. This load ofpaint is applied to the painted surface, and the roller is thenreapplied to the trough for another charge.

The use of the trough, and the consequent application of an excess ofpaint to the exterior periphery of the roller, tends to produce aspattering action requiring either extreme care, or the liberal use ofdrop-cloths. The continued reapplication of the roller to the trough isalso a time-consuming operation. Various arrangements have been proposedfor using the interior space in a roller as a container, with the rollerthen being filled with a considerable quantity of paint by simplypouring the paint into the interior, rather than applying it to theexterior periphery. While this principle has been recognized as apossibility, applicant is not aware of the development of anyinexpensive fully satisfactory devices along this line. Patentsdisclosing rollers of various structural details have been noted byapplicant as follows:

Italy 430,928 1948 Jenking 435,606 1890 Dodd 451,400 I891 Roux 596,090I897 Stuuenrauch 1,077,65l I913 Matsakas 2,325,867 I943 SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The present invention provides a container-type paint rollerin which at least one of the journals supporting the roller in a handlefork is a tubular configuration normally provided with a fill cap. Thefill cap is removable to permit paint to be poured into the interior ofthe roller via the tubular journal, after which the fill cap isreplaced. The roller is constructed to be permeable to paint, with theresult that the paint finds its way through to the periphery of theroller, without the accumulation there of an excess such as tends toproduce the objectionable spattering action.

The roller assembly itself is constructed of axially-separablecomponents, which include a perforate tubular structural memberfunctioning as a core, with paint-permeable padding surrounding thiscore. The outer component of the padding is preferably a tubular sleeveof fabric which is gathered together and tucked in around the ends ofthe core member, and held in place by application of the end-closuremembers containing the journals engageable with the fork of the handle.Preferably, the fork of the handle is proportioned to provide aresilient force holding the closure members axially in engagement withthe remainder of the roller components. The handle is removable byoutward deflection of the fork to a sufficient degree to disengage atleast one end from its associated journal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The several features of the invention willbe analyzed in detail through a discussion of the preferred embodimentillustrated in the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled paint roller embodying thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the Plane 2-2 of FIG. 1, on an enlargedscale.

FlGrfigifit RQFSPflCtive view, on an enlarged scale over that of FIG. 1,of the end of the unit having the fill cap.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a funnel usable in conjunction with thefilling of the unit with paint.

FIG. 5 illustrates the manner of the use of funnel shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the components of the deviceillustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The paint roller shown in FIG. Ihas a handle generally indicated at 10, including the hand grip 11 andthe fork defined by the opposite sides 12 and 13. The ends of thesesides are provided with bearing holes 12a and 13a for receiving the'journal portions 14 and 15, of the end-closure members 16 and 17,respectively. The journal 15 of the closure member 17 is tubular, and isprovided with the fill cap 18. This tubular journal forms a conduitleading from the exterior of the device into the interior, through whichpaint can be applied through the use of the funnel 19, in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 5.

The roller assembly generally indicated at 20 includes a tubular core 21which is perforated in the manner best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. The core21 acts as a stiffener for the roller as sembly, and may be constructedof cardboard with suitable perforations, or may be of a material similarto screening. This core 21 is surrounded by padding, which preferablyincludes a permeable layer of sponge 22 and a fabric cover 23. Thiscover is brought around the ends of the core 21 (and also the ends ofthe sponge material 22) and tucked in as shown in FIG. 2. The ends ofthe cover terminating on the inside of the assembly are indicated at 24,and the portion of the cover immediately adjacent the ends is entrappedbetween the inside diameter of the tubular member 21 and the flanges 25and 26 of the closure members, preferably with some degree of a forcefit. The distance between the ends 12 and 13 of the handlefork isselected so that a resilient force is applied to the base of the journalbosses 14 and 15 to hold the components shown in FIG. 6 axially inengagement. The boss 14 is preferably not tubular throughout its length,although the exterior may be provided with some form of recess fordesign purposes.

The structure provided by the present invention not only lends itselfwell to filling and refilling of the roller, but also to completedisassembly to facilitate cleaning. The components are obviously of sucha nature as to be produced very simply,

with the assembly of these components being merely a snap-in arrangementthat does not require the use of fastenings. The paint 27 shown beingapplied via the funnel 19 from the spout 28 will normally be ofsufficient quantity to permit the con tinued application of paint over arelatively large painted surface.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have beenillustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only andare not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appendedclaims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire inventiondisclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

Iclaim:

l. A paint roller including a roll assembly and a handle, the handlehaving a fork engaging the opposite ends of the roll assembly, whereinthe improvement comprises:

a perforate tubular member forming the structural core of said rollassembly;

permeable cover material surrounding said tubular member, and havingportions normally enveloping the ends of said tubular member andextending axially inward from said ends; and

closure members at opposite ends of said roll assembly, said membershaving portions received axially within said tubular member and clampingsaid cover material against said tubular member, said closure memberseach having a journal boss detachably engageable with said fork, and atleast one of said closure members having an axial passage in said bosscommunicating with the interior of said roll assembly, said one closuremember being normally provided with an exterior stopper for saidpassage, said fork having openings in the ends thereof that are axiallyengageable over said journal bosses, and the normal .di be we theses? si ess aaths distance between the bases of said journal bosses, said forkprovid ing a resilient force holding said closure members in engagementwith said tubular member and cover material.

